Stranded At 12,000 Ft, CEC Rajiv Kumar Joined By Bengaluru Trekker For Company

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar was compelled to spend a night in sub-zero conditions in a remote Uttarakhand village after his helicopter made an emergency landing due to adverse weather.

Kumar, along with two pilots and two election officials, was on his way to inspect polling stations in the Milam Glacier region when poor visibility forced their helicopter to land in Ralam village, 42 km from Munsiyari, on Wednesday afternoon.

Photo Credit: PTI

The helicopter, which took off at around 1 pm, had to land just 30 minutes later because of cloudy skies, according to Vinod Girish Goswami, District Magistrate of Pithoragarh. Stranded at an altitude of 12,000 feet, the group spent the night in an abandoned house in the deserted hamlet, enduring freezing temperatures with minimal provisions.

With no electricity or communication in the area, the only connection to the outside world was a satellite phone carried by Kumar, as reported by The Times of India, quoting Goswami.

CEC's Rendezvous With Bengaluru Trekker

The group was discovered by a trekker from Bengaluru and his two porters, who provided them with instant noodles and started a bonfire to help keep them warm, according to the TOI report.

"The hamlet is deserted as its residents have moved to lower valleys for the winter, leaving the area without electricity or communication facilities. The only link to the outside world was a satellite phone carried by the CEC," said Goswami.

Despite the inclement weather, rescue teams, including two groups from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and a team of local villagers, were sent to assist the stranded officials. The local team reached the site at around 1:20 am, while the ITBP trekked over 20 km, arriving by 5 am on Thursday.

Once the weather cleared in the morning, the helicopter was able to take off, and the CEC and others were safely transported to Munsiyari. They were later flown back to Dehradun, with authorities confirming that all were in good health.